The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) has asked for political intervention to resolve the problems facing British animal feed sector businesses who export feed materials and finished feeds to the EU and Northern Ireland. The current implementation of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement is causing significant problems in the export of specific feed products, resulting in lost revenue to British businesses, and delays and increased costs to Northern Irish and EU customers.
In a letter sent to Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove MP, Robert Sheasby, AIC chief executive said: “After a month of trying to achieve technical solutions to the export problems faced by feed businesses, it is clear that this issue cannot be resolved without political intervention.
“Problems have been particularly challenging for feeds containing animal by products such as milk and milk derived products, gelatine and collagen, hydrolysed proteins, eggs, dicalcium phosphate, chondroitin and glucosamine. The requirement to complete Export Health Certificates (EHC)s for feeds containing these products is particularly challenging as suitable EHCs do not exist and GB suppliers are not listed on EU approved establishment lists to supply such feeds into the EU.
“Our members, ranging from multinational businesses to SMEs, have found no way of practically exporting such feeds to the EU and Northern Ireland.”
The AIC has asked Gove to raise the issue with the European Commission as a matter of urgency, in order to achieve the clarification and certainty that feed sector businesses require.
